Quilting attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 1.

o. MANDEVILLE. QUILTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 400,699. Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

m mipior zwzhielfivimkqa'lla U ITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES MANDEvILLE, or FARMERflEXAS.

QUILTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,699, dated April 2, 1889; Y Application filed October 9,1888. fie'rial No. 287,673. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES MANDEVILLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Farmer, in the county of Young and State of Texas, have invented new and. useful Improvements in Quilting-Frames, of which the following is a specification. V My invention relates to quilting-frames, and particularly to that class of devices applied to use in connection with sewing-machines.

It is the purpose of my invention toprovide a simple, novel, and convenient frame capable of being attached to any pattern of sewingmachine and adapted to carry the top and lining of a quilt to the needle and to so construct and combine the parts that an easy and simple adjustment may be made to compensate for the increased diameter of the take-up roll to keep the fabrics constantly drawn taut and perfectly level upon the bed-plate of the machine] It is a further purpose of my invention to provide means whereby the top and lining shall be carried with equal speed and tension and the slack caused by the unequal travel of one or the other as well as the wrinkling produced by quilting the goods under unequal tension shall be wholly avoided.

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide simple means for holding and maintainin g the quilt in a horizontal position and fed evenly and together and presented properly to the stitching mechanism, and finally to provide simple and convenient means whereby the wadding. may be inserted, as required, to avoid carrying upon the frame the completely-wadded quilt.

The invention consists in the several novel features of invention and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section ofthe same, the frame being turned end for end and the guide-roll and one of the payoff rolls being removed from their bearings. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the frame with the rolls in place. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line y 3 Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail per spective of one end of the rail and its supports. Fig. 7 is a detail end elevation of the rail, showing the manner of attaching and detaching the supports. Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of one of the leg-attaching plates removed from the rail.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates the similar parallel side bars of the frame, which are preferably made of malleable iron, of suitable thickness, stiffened, if necessary, by a marginal flange, 2, or, if preferred, by a rib or bead formed upon each end bar. These bars are broader at one end than at the other, being beveled or tapered more than half their length to lighten the whole structure and throw the preponderance of weight upon the broader ends, for a reason presently to be explained.

At or near the center of the frame is attached a stay-rod, 3, having elbow-piece or braces 1, by which the side bars are stifily supported. This stay-rod is flush, or nearly so, with the upper edges of the side bars.

Upon the side bars, 1, upon one side of the stay-rod, are arranged two similar lugs, 5,risin g somewhat above the upper edges of the side bars and preferably cast integral therewith. In these lugs are formed two or more separate bearings, 5, for the journal of a pay-off roll, 6, which is vertically adjustable in said bearings. Upon the side bars, on the opposite side of and at somewhat greater distance from the stay-rod, are formed or mounted similar lugs, 7, extending below the lower edges of the side barsand each provided with a series of bearin gs for the journals of a vertically-adjustable guide-roll, 8. r

In the wider ends of'the side bars, 1, is journaled a take-up roll, 9, the bearings 10 thereof being two or more in number upon each bar, so that the roll may have a vertical adjustment to compensate for the increase in diameter caused by the take-up of the quilted fabric. At the opposite end of the side bars is journaled, in any suitable manner, a pay-01f roll, 12, which is provided with a ratchet, 13, a similar ratchet, 14, being mounted on the take-up roll 9. Both rolls '9 and 12 are provided with a projecting turn-button, 15, and

their ratchets engage with pawls 16 pivoted on thesidebars and thrown byany suitable spring into mesh with the ratchets, a rubber elastic band, 17, being a convenient device for the purpose. The pay-off rolls 6 and 12, as well as the take-up roll 9, are preferably square or octagonal in cross-section. The quiltingframe thus constructed is supported upon a rail, 17, transverse to the frame and arranged beneath the stay-rod 3. This rail is provided with a groove, 18, and bead 19, upon which travel two wheels, 20, mounted on the stayrod 3. The rail 17 is clamped to the worktable of a sewing-machine by means of any suitable clamp and screw, 21, attachable to the table. The ends of the rail which project beyond the sides of the work-table of the machine are supported by detachable legs 22, connected to plates 23, screwed to the rail and projecting beyond its longitudinal edges. In the projecting ends of these plates 23 are formed openings 24, and from each of these openings a slot, 25, is cut to the outer edge, the plane of said slot being inclined to the perpendicular at a suitable angle. Upon the extremities of the legs are mounted headed screw-eyes 26, which by inclining the leg may be inserted in the slot and caused to enter the opening 2-1, after which the leg will fall by gravity into contact with'the floor, where it will support the rail and can only be removed therefrom by inclining it sulficiently to enable the screw-eye 26 to pass out of 'the slot 25. By this construction the rail may be moved without the legs dropping from their attachment thereto. A

The mode of operation is as follows: The top and lining of the quilt are wound, respectively, upon the pay-off rolls 6 and 12, and the endsof said fabrics are loosely stitched to a cloth edge on the take-up roll 9, which may be removed from its bearings for the purpose. The take-up roll is then passed beneath the guide-roll 8 and replaced in its bearings, the lowerbearings, 10, being used fort-he purpose, in order to bring the fabrics down flat upon the bed-plate of the sewing machine. Before mounting the takeup roll, however, the lining and top are separated to allow the introduction of the batting, and after the roll is placed in its bearings and the pawl engaged with the ratchet 13, the pay-off roll 12 is turned until the lining is drawn taut, the ratchet 14 holding it, and any slack in the top is taken up by revolving the roll 6, which is placed in the uppermost of the bearings, 5. hen properly arranged the lining will pass from the pay-off roll 12 under the roll 6, where the top will be laid upon it, and both top and lining will pass over the stay-rod 3 under one guide-roll 8, and be received upon the under side of the take-up roll 9. The frame is then drawn toward the operator until the edge of the goods is brought under the needle, whereupon the machine is operated, the frame traveling upon the rail 17 and producing a perfectly straight transverse seam. The threads are then severed, and the ratchet 13 being re leased from its pawl thetake-up roll is turned a given distance to bring the succeeding portion of the fabric under the needle, when the operations are repeated until it becomes necessary to insert the batting. For this purpose the pay-off r0116 is removed from its bearings and the top is removed from. the lining as far as the guide-roll 8. The batting is then laid upon the lining and the top is replaced and the pay-off roll mounted in its bearings, the operation being repeated as often as may be necessary. As the diameter of the take up roll 9 increases it may be shifted from the lower bearings, 10, to those next above, and in like manner the pay-off roll 6 may, as its diameter decreases, be-shifted from its upperto a lower bearing in the lugs 5, the purpose being to maintain a surface contact between the lining passing beneath the roll 6 and the top wound on the latter, whereby the fabric forming the top will be paid off and laid upon the lining at the same speed with which the latter travels, thereby avoiding any fullness or slack, and securing an equal tension upon both fabrics, whereby the quilted material will lie smooth and be free from folds and wrinkles. The guide-roll 8 is also adjusted vertically to correspond with the adjustment of the take-up and retain that part of the quilt lying on the bed-plate of the machine in a proper position relatively to said bed-plate. In withdrawing the top and lining from the two pay-off rolls there is little difficulty in securing an equal tension and travel of the two webs. It frequently happens, however, that itbecomes necessary to draw. both fabrics back-upon the pay-off rolls. This may happen by the operator turning the take-up roll too far to give an equal interval between the scams, or it may result from other causes. In all cases, however, the retrograde movement of the pay-off roll 12 will produce an equal retrograde movement of the pay-off roll 6, or, in other words, will cause both top and lining to move backward to an equal degree, this result being produced by the surface contact between the lining as it travels beneath the roll 6 and the top wound upon said roll. By this arrangement I am able to produce a similar and equal travel and tension of both top and lining when moving in either direction, and I effect this result without gearing the two pay-off rolls together and by the operation of one of said rolls only.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A quilting attachment for sewing-machines, consisting of two side bars, a take-up roll at one end, a stay-rod at or near the central part thereof, a vertically-adjustable guide and tension-roll revoluble between the stayrod and take-up roll, an independently revoluble pay-off roll for the lining at the opposite end of the side bars, a vertically-adjustable pay-off roll for the top removably mounted in bearings between the side bars adjacent to the stay-rod and between the lat- IIO ter and the lining pay-otf roll, and revoiuble in its bearings independent of rotation of the lining pay-0E roll for adjusting the tension of the top independent of the lining, and a transverse rail on which the side bar travels, substantially as described.

2. A' rquilting machine consisting of two side bars, a take-up roll at one end, a stayrod at ornear the central part thereof provided with supporting-wheels, a verticallyadjustable guide and tension-roll revoluble in bearings between the takeup roll and the stay-rod, a vertically-adj ustable independently-revoluble pay-oft roll for the lining at theiopposite end of the side bars, a verticallyadjustable pay-off roll for the top removably mountedin bearings between the side bars adjacent to the stay-rod and between the latter and the lining pay-oftroll, and revoluble in its bearings independent of rotation of the lining pay-oft roll for adjusting the tension of the top independent of the lining, and a transverse rail on which the supportingwheelsrest and travel, substantially as described.

3. In a quilting-frame attachment for sewing-machines, the combination, with two parallel side bars, having their greatest width and weight at one end, of a vertically-adjustable take-up roll journaled in said side bars, a vertically-adjustable tension and guide roll journaled in brackets depending below the side bars, a stay-rod connecting the said bars at or near their'central part and rising to or nearly to their upper edges, a pay-off roll for the top vertically adjustable in brackets rising above the side bars, a pay-oft roll for the lining in the other end of the frame, and a rail supporting the frame, the pay-oft for the lining and the take-up roll having ratchets and thumb-buttons and the frame being provided with wheels moving onthe rail, substantially as described.

bead, all constructed and arranged substantially as described. 5. In a quilting-fram attachment for sew ing-machines, the combination, with two parallelbars having one end of greater width and weight, of a guide-roll and 'a pay-oft roll for the top of the quilt'journaled upon opposite sides of a substantially central stay-rod rising nearly flush with the upper edges of the said bars, a take-up roll at the wider ends having a ratchet engaging with a springpressed pawl on the frame, and a pay-off roll for the lining having a similar ratchet and pawl, the guide-roll and pay-ofif for the top being adjustable below and above the bars, respectively, substantially as described.

6. In a quilting-frame attachment for sewing-machines, the combination, with a supporting-rail for the frame having suitable attaching-clamps and provided with metallic plates having openings in their projecting ends, and having slots out from their edges into said openings in a plane inclined to the perpendicular, of legs having headed bolts set in their ends, said bolts being adapted to enter the slots by inclining the legs, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES MANDEVILLE.

Witnesses: I

J. A. RUTHERFORD, GEO. W. REA. 

